Monday, November 30, 2015

International Spotlight: South Taiwan

The
Taiwan Tourism Bureau's International Spotlight program is designed
to inspire and attract 'slow travellers', the kind of people who prefer to take
their time, and who feel no compulsion to see each and every attraction. In addition to covering parts of the north and central part of the island, the program introduces the scenic, culinary and shopping highlights of Greater Tainan.

Located
just south of the Tropic of Cancer, Tainan is a relic-packed city
which served as the island’s political and administrative center
between the arrival of the Dutch East India Company in 1624 and 1885. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, Taiwan was a neglected backwater of China’s Qing Empire. The
weather is reliably dry and comfortably sunny between October and
March. For anyone who likes to be outdoors, whether in an urban
setting or deep in the countryside, Tainan and wintertime go together
perfectly.

Tainan
is already well known to tourists on account of its fabulous temples,
fascinating fortresses and delicious street food. The pace of life
here is far more relaxing than in Taipei; a great many visitors are
happy to do little more than wander at random, on foot or with a
hired bicycle. But, of course, those who explore with the assistance
of a guide, or read up before setting out, will come
away with a far better understanding of this ancient city and its
many treasures.

The
International Spotlight Southern Region has its own trilingual website where anyone considering a trip to the
south can find theme routes and descriptions of historic
neighbourhoods. One such zone lies around Zhongzheng Road and Haian
Road. A must-see hereabouts is Shennong Street, perhaps Taiwan’s
most traditional thoroughfare. As recently as the 19th century,
before human land-reclamation efforts and natural sedimentation
pushed the coastline further west, this part of the city was a
stone’s throw from the ocean. A few of the old two-storey houses,
built by merchants to serve as both homes and warehouses, have been
turned into shops or bars.

Far
more modern yet still of considerable historic interest are landmarks
which date from Japan’s 1895-1945 occupation of Taiwan. What's now
Tainan Meteorological Observatory is said to be the oldest
Japanese-era official building surviving in Taiwan. Locals have
nicknamed this 1898 structure 'the pepper pot' on account of its
circular shape. Among the items displayed inside are old
seismographs.

The
Old Union Hall (also known as the Former Tainan Meeting Hall, pictured below) and the
adjacent Wu’s Garden is a superb spot for a picnic. The former is a
1911 French-influenced structure that hosts occasional exhibitions.
The latter dates from the 1820s and is named for Wu Shang-xin, a salt
tycoon who owned this land and commissioned the garden’s creation.

Tainan
folk are hardly exaggerating when they quip their city 'has a small
shrine every three steps, and a major temple every five steps'. The
Confucius Temple offers a sense of eternal tranquility, while the
Martial Rites Temple (also known as the Official God of War Temple)
is equally gorgeous. The former is dedicated to the sage
now regarded as China’s greatest philosopher, while the latter
honours Guan Gong, a general who lived and fought in China more than
1,800 years ago.

To
the delight of those who have several days to explore Tainan,
nanspot.tw goes well beyond the usual tourist haunts. There are
directions to Xihua Tang, an ancient Buddhist house of worship, the Great South Gate, a holdover from when Tainan was
encircled by a protective wall, and the Temple of the Lord of the North Pole.

The
majority of Tainan’s attractions are within 20 minutes’ walk of
the TRA Station, which itself is linked to the high-speed railway by
frequent shuttle trains. However, visitors should make at least one
trip outside the downtown, ideally to Anping. This is where the Dutch established their trading colony in the early 17th
century, and the bastion they called Fort Zeelandia is now a
captivating ruin. This part of the city abuts the ocean, so it is no
surprise that oysters and shrimps feature in the dishes enjoyed by
many visitors.

Riding
a bicycle from the Confucius Temple to Fort Zeelandia takes around 20
minutes. An alternative form of transport is city bus no. 2,
which stops at Tainan TRA Station, the National Museum of Taiwan Literature and Confucius Temple en route to Anping. Having
got that far, visitors may wish to explore the coast, parts
of which have been incorporated into Taijiang National Park.